Teleconverter - £250 odd, will I be dissapointed?

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Ok so I have started getting into photographing birds....

So far I have been using my dads 25yo Nikkor 300mm, manual focus only on my D60 :'( as its the only way I can get anywhere near them.

Funnily enough I am struggling quite a bit as the birds round my way are all tiny and lightning fast. By the time I move the camera and focus the b****r has gone.

I'd love to chuck a few grand into some serious glass but that's not an option to me, not by a long way lol.

I also have the kit 55-200 AF-S VR that came with my D60. I have been looking at the Nikon Tc-20E Af-S Teleconverter, to pair with VR200.

Would I be disappointed with my £250 splash?

Could it be better spent else ware?

Is there any other option other than Nikon that will keep the AF-S & VR working on the 200?

Or stop spending money, and get out and practice with what I have already got?

Big Cheers! :wave:
 
If you're planning on using the TC with the 55-200, yes you will be disappointed.

Birders tend to need the most expensive gear, but your money would probably be better spent on getting closer to the action, hide etc.
 
Yep, have to agree with a hide or similar. Manual focus lenses can be useful, why not set up a perch with a bit of foot underneath, the birds will likely land on the branch before hopping down to eat. So all you need to do is manual focus on the branch and fire away when they land :)

Using the lens as a 'walk about' won't really be doable though, as you say, focussing takes time!
 
You can't fit that TC to the 55-200, or to the 25 year old lens so the answer to "
Could it be better spent else ware?" - yes, because the TC won't even mount to the lenses mentioned :)
 
I find my 70-300 on a cropped sensor pretty poor for getting close to the action
normally it's a cracking lens but witih the subject being so small it's problematic.

also be aware than, on canon's at least, the x2.0 extenders can limit the ability of the lens to which they're mated. Loss of max aperture, and sometimes auto focusing.
The 1.6x extenders have less of a problem so I hear
 
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